Eliud Kariuki, a senior at Woodrow Wilson High School in Tacoma, undoubtedly spoke for most of the 19 students in this summer’s Boeing Fabrication intern program when he said, “This internship has been a one-of-a-kind opportunity. Not a lot of people get to do something like this while still in high school.”

Kariuki and his fellow interns were able to practice a variety of manufacturing and engineering techniques like drilling, sealing and using computers to design and modify parts. The six-week Fabrication internship is one of many similar programs across Boeing involving both high school and college-age interns.

Fabrication has hosted around 120 high school interns over the last five years, from multiple high schools – 15 high schools this year alone. The program is meant to reinforce the importance of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in public high schools.

There is high demand and fierce competition for these internship positions. Excellent attendance, a 3.0 grade point average, strong communication skills, personal discipline, teamwork and productivity are among the requirements for students who apply.